Motor-driven motion-picture projecting machine



June 26, 1934. V K. MORSBACH ET AL 4,

' MOTOR DRIVEN MOTION PICTURE PROJECTING' MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1932 {Sheets-Sheet l jl bvehtdrk: Kurt fi/of'slnch Otto Steiner Erich L'Z/ces Wt/QZZQnKV K Attqrneys I J1me 1934. K. MORSBACH ET AL MOTOR DRIVEN MOTION PICTURE PROJECTING MACHINE T10 n t fl tuk e m a m nM s W a m C 6 6 K T a 2 J Filed Jan.

Patented June 26, 1934' UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MOTOR-DRIVEN MOTION-PICTURE PROJECTING MACHINE many Application January 25,

1932, Serial No. 588,512

In Germany December 20, 1930 8 Claims. (01. 88-17) Our invention relates to motor-driven motionpicture projecting machines, and more particularly to improved mechanisms for such machines.

One object of our invention is to provide an 6 improved mechanism for transmitting the driving power of the motor to the film feed or advancing mechanism and the film reels, as well as an improved construction of intermittent film advancing member and various individual parts of the gearing.

Another object of our invention is to arrange the constituent parts of the gearing or film driving mechanism in a more convenient manner, i. e. between two supporting frame-sides, and to provide improved means for securing the frame-sides on the base or bottom part of the machine or apparatus, so that the gearing or driving mechanism forms a unitary structure which may be bodily removed from the machine and easily replaced by a similar one. I

A further object of our invention is to secure the driving motor between the frame-sides of the film driving gear so that together with the gearing it forms a self-contained unit, while at the same time it acts as connecting member or distance bolt to maintain the correct spacing of the two framesides of the gearing. 4

A still further object of our invention is to support the driving unit resiliently or elastically upon the base of the apparatus so that vibrations and shocks are absorbed and not transmitted to the apparatus, and disturbing noises are avoided when giving performances in motion picture theatres.

With these and other objects in view, our invention resides in certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully' described, particularly. pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

, Fig. 1 is a side-elevation of our improved motion-picture projecting apparatus viewed from the operator's stand,

Fig. 2 shows the superstructure comprising the gearing or driving mechanism liftedoff the base of the apparatus and viewed from the opposite side, Fig. 3 shows the superstructure comprising the driving mechanism viewed from the back and the manner of securing it to the base of the apparatus, Fig. 4 illustrates our improved motion-picture projecting apparatus in plan, the outer walls of the housing and the topmost driving shaft being omitted, I I

Figs. 5 and 6 show details of the coupling or contains substantially a connecting plug or plug I socket, not visible in the drawings, a rheostat,

likewise invisible, the switch 2 and other electrical and mechanical operating members and appliances. On the base 1 of the machine or apparatus are mounted the walls 3 of the outer housing, adapted to be folded down or removed bodily. These walls 3 enclose the gearing as well as the lamp 4 and the series resistance 5 pertaining thereto. The lamp 4 and the resistance 5 are enclosed by an inner housing 6 common to both of them.

In front of the lamp 4 is located the condenser lens 7 and ahead of it the film guide channel or gate 8 and still further ahead the objective 9.

Adjacent to the objective is located the gearing or driving gear mounted between frame-sides or plates 10 and 11. The objective 9 is secured to the side 11. The frame-sides 10 and 11 are connected with each other by spacing bolts 13 and 14 and further spaced apart by the end shield 15 containing the bearing of the electric motor 16. The motor 16 is secured to the frame-sides 10 and 11 by means of screws. together with the frame-sides carrying the gearing forms a unitary structure or self-contained unit which may easily be removed from the base or bottom part of the apparatus or machine.

The frame-sides are secured to the base 1 by means of screw bolts 18. In order to absorb vibrations or shocks and not to transmit them to the base 1 when the gearing is running, elastic or resilient washers 21 and 22 are placed between the supporting lugs 19 and 20 bent off at right angles from the frame-sides 10 and 11, and held in position by the fixing bolts 18.

The driving gear or gearing consists substantially of four horizontally disposed shafts 23, 24, 25, 26 journaled in the frame-sides 10 and 11. The vertical motor shaft 27 carries at its upper end a friction disc 29 driven by a centrifugal clutch 28. In contact with this disc 29 is a friction wheel 30 adapted to be axially displaced along the shaft 23 by means of its bearing bushing 31 so that the disc carries this shaft around when driven by the motor in any position of the wheel 30 in relation to the disc 29. The rotation of the friction wheel 30 is transmitted by a driving pin In this way the motor- 1 reel of the film, not shown here.

32 which is rigidly connected to a worm wheel 33 mounted on the shaft 23.

The displacement of the friction wheel 36 along its shaft 23 takes place by means of a doublearmed lever 35 forked at its end 34, and adapted to be rocked around its pivot pin 36 by means of a handle 37. By adjusting this lever the distance of the friction wheel 30 from the center of the disc 29 is varied, and thereby the driving speed of the film feed is regulated.

The worm wheel 33 keyed to the shaft 23 drives through a further worm wheel 38 the shaft 24 upon which is mounted a pinion 39. Through this pinion 39 the shaft 24 drives a spur wheel 40 riding loosely upon the shaft 25. Likewise loose on this shaft is a sprocket 41 driven from a sprocket 42 keyed to the shaft 24. On the shaft 25 is adapted to slide a coupling member 43 provided with a longitudinal slot 44 adapted to be engaged by a pin 45 fixed in the shaft so that the coupling member 43 is obliged to take part in the rotation of the shaft 25 while being freely movable along it. The coupling member 43 is furthermore provided with a driving pin 46 and 47 respectively on each of its faces, see in particular Fig. 5 of the drawings. By operating a lever 43 which by means of a pin engages an annular groove 49 in the coupling member 43 in the manner customary in couplings, the member 43 may be moved in one direction or the other and either by coupled with the spur wheel 40 or the sprocket The spur wheel 40 is for this purpose provided with a driving disc 51 with four bores 52 located at 30 from each other, said driving disc being mounted on the inwardly extended hub the wheel 40. At the back of the disc 51 adapted to rotate on the hub 50 there is located a rope or cord pulley 53. l'his rope pulley is by means of a strap connected with the winding-up In the side of the rope pulley 53 facing the disc 51 a groove 54 is milled just at the back of the bores 52. This groove 54, see more particularly Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, is at two diametrically opposite places interrupted by pins 55 placed into it so that when throwing the coupling member 43 into engagement its pin 46, which after the coupling operation extends into one of the bores 52, is obliged to come into contact with one of these pins 55 and then drives the winding-up reel.

On the end of the shaft 25 located at the side of the objective there is mounted the lower feed roller 56, while at the other end there is keyed to the shaft the sprocket 57. If the coupling is thrown into engagement in one direction or the other, the coupling member 43 drives through the agency of the driving pin 45 the shaft 25 so that the lower feed roller 56 and the sprocket 57 are entrained in one direction or the other. drive in one direction or the other is attained in View of the fact that the sprocket 41 and the spur wheel 40 rotate in opposite directions, the sprocket 41 being directly driven by the shaft 24, while the spur wheel 40 obtains its drive through the intermediate wheel 38 from the shaft 23.

On the upper shaft 26 there is mounted on the side of the objective the upper feed roller 58 and at the opposite side a sprocket 59 located opposite to the sprocket 5'7, connected with each other by a chain 66. When the coupling 43 is in engagement with the sprocket 41 or with the spur wheel 40, the shaft 26 is thus driven. in one direction or the other by the chain drive 57, 59, 66. On the shaft 26 there is loosely mounted a rope pulley 61 which by means of a strap is con- The eer-goo nected with the film unwinding reel, not shown in the drawings. At both sides of the disc 61 helical springs 62 and 63 are, for instance, hooked with their ends into small bores, which springs are coiled in oppositedirections. The helical spring 62 rests upon'a piece of tube 64 rigidly connected with the shaft and at the same time serving as a spacing member, which during the forward drive, i. e. when the coupling member 43 is coupled with the sprocket 41 or the spur wheel 40 respectively, revolves in a direction opposite to that in which the helical spring 62 is coiled up, so that the pulley 61 is not carried around during the forward drive. The other helical screw 63 is coiled around an extension of the bearing 65 of the shaft 26, in such a manner that it exerts a braking action upon the pulley 61 when the drive takes place by the unwinding reel due to the film being pulled off there, so that the film is arrested by the spring tightly coiling itself around the projection 65 and the strap is then only able to slide upon the pulley 61. The braking action developed in this way prevents the film from running off the reel' too quickly and forming loops liable to disturb the steady running off of the film.

If it is desired to rewind the film, for instance for repeatedly exhibiting certain short scenes or for rewinding the entire film reel, the coupling member 43 is reversed by means of the lever 48 adapted to be operated by a handle 48', so that the pin 47 comes into engagement with a corresponding bore or annular groove with pins, similar to Fig. 6, in the sprocket 41. By the continuously driven sprocket 41 and through the agency of the coupling member 4 .3 and the driving pin 45 the shaft 25 is non driven in the opposite direction, so that the lower feed roller 56 rotates in the reverse direction and the chain gear 5'7 to 60 also drives the shaft 26 in the opposite direction. In this way the direction of rotation of the upper feed roller 58 is likewise reversed and the rope pulley 61 carried around by the tubular member 64 through the agency of the spring coupling 62. The rope pulley 61 then drives the unwinding reel in the reverse direction so that the film is again wound upon this reel.

For stopping the drive of the film the coupling member 43 is brought into the central, neutral position shown in Fig. 5, by means of the lever 48 so that the spur wheel 40 and the sprocket 41 rotate idly around the driving shaft 25. Due to the inertia of the winding-up reel this reel tends to continue its rotation but is prevented from doing this by the braking action of the disc 53. This braking action is set up mainly by the sliding of the disc 53 on the hub 50 revolving in the opposite direction since the spur wheel 40 maintains its original direction of rotation in spite of the throwing over of the coupling. In order to increase the braking action a spring may be provided on the hub 50, Fig. 5, and adapted to act against the disc 53. The spring is designed as saddle spring (disc or leaf spring), so that it engages a'relatively large surface and near the periphery.

During the rewinding of the film, i. e. the reversal of the direction of travel of the film, the formation of a loop in the film after throwing over the coupling, by the winding-up reel revolving the opposite direction due to inertia, is avoided by film. loop forming being again wound upon the reel in consequence of the frictional drive of the disc 53 by the hub 50. Only after the film has been pulled taut the frictional contact no longer sufiices for the further drive of the winding-up reel, so that the reels as well as the upper and lower feed rollers are completely stopped.

From the shafts 23 and 24 is driven continuously an operating member 66 for feeding the film past the gate aperture at a constant speed. The drive takes place by means of two crank discs 67 and 68, of which the crank disc 67 is mounted on the shaft 23 and the crank disc 68 on the shaft 24. Due to the ratio gearing 33 and 38 the shaft 23 revolves at treble the speed of the shaft 24.

The operating member 66 secured to a pin 69 pivotally mounted in the plate or frame 11 is pivotally connected at 70 with the toggle '71, 72 the members of which are pivotally connected by a pin '73. The toggle 71,72 is driven from the crank 67. i

At the joint 73 also engages a further connecting rod '74 which receives its drive from the crank 68. By means of the crank discs 6'7 and 68 revolving at different speeds and in opposite directions the intermittently operating member 66 receives its characteristic oscillating movement which during a third of the revolution of the crank 68 carries out the maximum downward stroke so that during this stroke the film is fed forward by a lengthening of the loop which intervenes between the film gate 8 and the lower feed roller 56. The film coming from the upper reel and passing over the upper feed roller 58 and a guide roller '75 forms below the guide channel or gate 8 containing the image aperture or window I a loop to the curvature of which the operating member 66 is closely adapted. After its engagement by the member 66 the filmpasses over the lower feed roller 56 and under a further guide roller '76 to the winding-up reel. The guide rollers 75 and '76 are adapted to revolve upon axles 7'7 and '78 secured to the plate or side frame 11.

Upon these axles are adapted to rock levers 79.

and which in their turn carry presser rollers 81 and 82 which force the film against the upper or lower feed roller respectively. 1

The operating member 66 is with its pivot pin 69 arranged in relation to the lower feed roller 56 so that no sliding of the film can take place during the feed motion. The lengths of the toggle members 71, 72 and connecting rod 74 as well as the relative positions of their pivot pins 67, 68, '70 and 73 are such that the course of the speed .of the operatingmember during the feed stroke corresponds with the course of a sinusoidal line between two successive amplitudes, the ratio of the stroke period to the total image period, the so-called feed ratio, is smaller than 1: 2. This hasthe effect that the operating member 66 first engages the film loop comparatively smoothly,

then carries out the feed stroke rapidly and again disengages itself from the loop gradually. The film feeding member 66, as mentioned above, operates by lengthening the loop of the film between the film gate 8 and the lower feed roller 56. This operation of expanding or lengthening the loop differs from the action of the film feedi ing claw employed in certain motion picture nisms, by a feeding device which without any teeth to fit into the perforations of the film, engages the latter at a loop and stretches or lengthens said loop.

Since ,the lower feed roller 56 continues to revolve during the feed stroke of the member 66, a stress is liable to developbetween the intermittent operating member 66 and the lower feed roller, or a slip at the operating member. This slip is prevented by, as already mentioned, arranging the operating member in a special manner, inasmuch as the feed path of the film section contacting with the operating member corresponds approximatley with a movement by which the film during the continuation of the lower feed roller from the running-on position of the film is placed around its periphery opposite its direction of rotation. This arrangement by which a slip of the film on the operating member 66 is avoided enables teeth to be provided upon the operating member 66 adapted to engage the perforations in the film. By inaccuracies of the sprocket drum in regard to its support or its shape it may in spite of the provisions described happen that the film creeps, more particularly in relation to the image aperture in the gateso that it is no longer possible to maintain the accurate adjustment of the picture within the aperture. The teeth provided upon the intermittently operating member would thus bring about a constant check of the position of the picture. within the exposure aperture.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings teeth are therefore provided upon the intermittently operating film feed member 66. For this purpose a strip of sheet metal 83 is at one end bolted to the back of the member 66 and the free ends are bent downwards to form teeth 84 extending through recesses in the member 66 and projecting beyond the operative surface. The position of the teeth 84 is such that they will engage the perforations of the film only toward the end of the feeding motion imparted to the film by the member 66. The main feeding action will therefore be effected by said member 66, without the cooperation of the teeth 84; the latter becomes operative only toward the end of the film feedin movement gfor the sole purpose of insuring a proper positioning of the film within the film gate, or in other words, a proper framing of the picture.

I The .shutter 85 for the objective is indicated in broken lines in Fig. 4; this shutter is driven from the shaft 24 throughthe worm wheel 38 and a further worm wheel 86. The worm wheel 86 is keyed to a horizontal shaft 87 located at right angles to the shaft 24. i

It is obvious that structural changes and modifications could readily be devised within the scope of our invention.

Having thus described our invention,'what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a motion-picture apparatus, a film-feeding device, driving mechanism for such device,-a

carrying frame common to said device and mech-,

anism, a motor for said mechanism, said motor being secured exclusively to said frame at one end of such frame, the shaft of said motor being perpendicular to the shafts of said mechanism, and said film-feeding device, driving mechanism, frame, and motor together forming 'a unit, a base and releasable means for fastening said carrying frame and said base to each other.

2. In a. motion-picture apparatus, a film-feeding device, driving mechanism for such device, a

carrying frame common to said device and mechanism, a hollow base for the reception of said carrying frame, a motor for said mechanism, said motor being secured exclusively to the lower end of said frame and extending into said base when the frame is in position on said base, and releas able means for fastening said carrying frame and said base to each other.

3. In a motion-picture apparatus, a film-feeding device, driving mechanism for said device, two connected sheet-metal frame members carrying said mechanism between them, said filmfeeding device being located on the outside of one of said frame members, a'hollow base for said frame members, a motor for said driving mechanism, said motor being secured to the lower ends of said frame members and extending into the said base, and said frame members, driving mechanism, film-feeding device, and motor together forming a unit, and releasable means for fastening said frame members and said base to each other.

4. In a motion-picture apparatus, a film-feeding device, driving mechanism for said device, two connected sheet-metal frame members carrying said mechanism between them, said filmfeeding device being located on the outside of one of said frame members, a hollow base for said frame members, an electric motor the shaft of which is parallel to said frame members, one of the bearings of said motor being fitted between the lower portions of said frame members, said motor being secured exclusively to saidframe members and extending into the base, and releasable means for fastening said frame members and said base to each other.

5. In a motion-picture apparatus, a film-feeding device, driving mechanism for such device, a carrying frame common to said device and mechanism, a motor for said mechanism, said motor being connected with said frame at the lower portion thereof and having its shaft perpendicular to those of said mechanism, said mechanism including a variable transmission gear comprising a friction disc and a friction wheel, said disc being connected with the motor shaft and extending perpendicular thereto, and the said friction wheel being perpendicular to the friction surface of said disc and shiftable radially relaesaoa tively thereto, and means forshifting the friction wheel on the friction disc in such radial direction.

6. In a motion-picture apparatus, a film-feed ing device, driving mechanism for such device, a carrying frame common to said device and mechanism, a motor for said mechanism, said motor being connected with said frame at the lower portion thereof and having its shaft perpendic" ular to those of said mechanism, said mechanism including two shafts one located substantially vertically above the other and each serving to drive one of the film feed rollers, a variable transmission gear comprising a friction disc and a friction wheel, said disc being connected with the motor shaft and extending perpendicular thereto, and said friction wheel being perpendicular to the friction surface of said disc and shiftable radially relatively thereto, the axis of said friction wheel being located at a level between said two shafts and to one side of the vertical plane passing through said two shafts, and means for shifting the friction wheel on the friction drive in said radial direction.

'7. A motion-picture apparatus according to claim 5, provided with means, located between the friction wheel and other parts of the driving mechanism, for transmitting the rotary motion from the said friction wheelin such a manner as to produce selectively rotation in one direction or the other.

3. In a motion-picture apparatus, a film-feeding device, driving mechanism for such device, a carrying frame common to said device and mechanism, a motor for said mechanism, said motor being connected with said frame at the lower portion thereof, said mechanism including two shafts each serving to drive one of the film feed rollers, a third shaft, two members mounted to turn on one of said two shafts, two operative connections from said third shaft to the respective members, and a coupling member mounted on the same shaft as said two members and adapted to couple said shaft selectively with one or the other of said two members.

KURT MORSBACH. OTTO STEINER. ERICK LoLKEs. 

